Abstract: Why does Linux, MySQL, IRC, ssh and other world-class Open Source software originate from Finland? Is there something special about Finnish IT know-how, attitudes, values -- and if so, what? Does Finland have a specific academic atmosphere that forms the background to Finnish IT successes? In his presentation, Kaj shares some lessons from the MySQL AB saga, including his views on the role of social media in technology development. What is the take-away of MySQL AB for today's students, when planning for the future?

Biography: Kaj Arnö is a serial entrepreneur and was part of the core team behind MySQL AB, the Scandinavian IT company which was sold for a billion dollars to Sun Microsystems in 2008. Kaj joined the management team in 2001, and served as VP of Services, VP of Engineering and VP of Community Relations. Kaj stayed with Sun as MySQL Ambassador and when Oracle bought Sun, he co-founded SkySQL Ab, leading Marketing and Engineering as Executive VP Products. Beyond IT, Kaj has held speeches and blogged in over a dozen languages and pioneered a number of Social Media communities in Finland. He is a business publication columnist, photographer, climber, kayaker, mountain biker and seven time marathon runner, spreading his running philosophy as "Runnism, the religion of running". Kaj has been based in Munich, Germany since 2006.

TUCS study report round 1.2.-28.2.2013

The annual TUCS Study Report round will take place 1.2-28.2.2013. TUCS doctoral students have the obligation to report the progress of their studies once a year. This duty concerns all students with TUCS status (part-time as well as full-time students, students getting a salary/grant from TUCS, a department or a project, as well as students who do not get any financing from TUCS or the departments).

The study report will be done electronically at:https://www.tucs.fi/studyreport/ . The system will open 1 February 2013. Please note that the system closes late on 28th of February after which it is not possible to fill in the report anymore. The reporting period is 1.1.2012-31.12.2012.

TUCS GP doctoral defence

On Friday, February 15th, TUCS GP student Muhammad Mohsin Saleemi presented his Doctoral thesis "Towards Combining Interactive Mobile TV and Smart Spaces: Architectures, Tools and Application Development" for public criticism. The opponent of M.Sc. Saleemi was Adjunct professor Jouni Smed from University of Turku. Professor Johan Lilius acted as the custos at this public defence.

Time: 12 noonPlace: Auditorium Gamma, The ICT Building

New courses

New course: A Practical Approach to Zero-Defect Programming

A Practical Approach to Zero-Defect Programming

Advanced course in CS (5 cu)

Lecturers:

Ralph-Johan Back

Viorel Preoteasa

Course description:

In this course we address the challenge of building correct programs. We will

use the technique of Invariant Based Programming for constructing correct

programs. Invariants specify what is true about the variables of the program at

different points in the execution flow. In the course we will use the Socos tool for

building invariant-based programs. Socos supports a diagrammatic notation for

programs, and it generates a number of verification conditions that ensures the

correctness of the program.

The course, upon completion, awards 5 ECTS credits.

Target audience:

This is an advanced course in Computer Science. M.Sc. students in Computer Science and Computer engineering, at both Åbo Akademi and University of Turku, are all eligible to take the course.

Additionally the course is suitable for Ph.D. students from both universities working in these same areas.

Basics of mathematical logic or introductory formal methods are strongly encouraged. General knowledge of Mathematics and mathematical proofs are also useful.

Working methods:

There will be 8 two-hour lectures, and 8 two-hour exercises sessions. There will be 8 assignments of increasing difficulty to be solved outside of classroom and submitted for grading before a deadline. Students are expected to install the software needed.

The course will have also a final project. To pass the course the at least 60% from the assignments and the project should be completed.

Time and place:

Lectures: Tuesdays 15 – 17, in Fortran, starting 19.03.2013

Exercises sessions: Mondays 13 – 15, in Algol, starting 25.03.2013

Registration:

No formal registration is required, just show up when the course start. Course

information will be provided during the course and on the course web page:

Open jobs at University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University

University of Turku: http://www.utu.fi/fi/Yliopisto/yliopisto-tyonantajana/avoimet-tehtavat/Sivut/home.aspx

Åbo Akademi University: https://www.abo.fi/personal/rekrytering

Turku ICT Week 2013

Turku ICT Week is the result of combined efforts of people working in the ICT sector of Turku. During the week, you can form new partnerships and networks and learn from internationally acclaimed experts. Turku ICT Week will take place 4.3.-8.3.2013.

Academy of Finland’s Apropos magazine

TUCS GP travel reports

TUCS GP travel report: SOFSEM 2013 by Mikhail Barash

Full name of the event: 39th International Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science – SOFSEM 2013

Place and date: Czech Republic, Špindlerův Mlýn, January 26-31, 2013

Type of event: Conference and Student Research Forum

My article:

Title of paper: Recursive descent parsing for grammars with contexts

Author: Mikhail Barash

Award: Best Poster Award

The scientific profile of the event: The conference is an annual event held for almost forty years already and is devoted to the theory and practice of computer science. The conference had four tracks: “Foundations of Computer Science”, “Software & Web Engineering”, “Data, Information and Knowledge Engineering” and “Social Computing and Human Factors”.

Opinion on the best paper and its topic: One of the most interesting regular papers presented at the Foundations of Computer Science track were given by Matteo Pradella (“Logic Characterization of Invisibly Structured Languages: the Case of Floyd Languages:) and David Janin (“On Languages of One-dimensional Overlapping Tiles”). SOFSEM has formerly been a winter school for Ph.D. students and following the tradition the conference had ten invited talks. One of the most vivid talks was given by Arnold Smeulders (“Searching things in Large Sets of Images”).

Social events and touristic impressions: The conference was held at the Hotel Bedřichov in the famous mountain resort of the Czech Republic. During one of the conference days there have been some winter outdoor activities followed by the dinner in the restaurant serving traditional Czech food.